DOCSLIB.ORG

On the Cultural Traits of Chinese Idioms

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
On the Cultural Traits of Chinese Idioms Intercultural Communication Studies V:1 1995 Chu-Hsia Wu On the Cultural Traits of Chinese Idioms Chu-hsia Wu Department of Foreign Languages and Literature National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, ROC This study is designed to provide a basis for a theory of Chinese idioms 'chengyu' as a phenomenon in natural language. The study focuses on a description of idioms and formations of idioms with emphasis on the exploration of cultural traits to historical backgrounds. Idioms are defined as 'chengyu' usually in four-character form, distinguished by form, meaning, function, and sources from literary works or sayings. Most Chinese idioms have to be distinguished from other lexemes by virtue of their conventional implicature. Understanding the cultural traits of Chinese idioms helps people better understand Chinese communication both within the culture and across cultures. 0. Introduction The Chinese idioms1 'chengyu' 2 lie near the heart of the Chinese language. It is a special category of lexical items which not only distinguish themselves by their constituent relations, but also show singular types of intrinsic grammatical structure. Idiom's integrated sense lies in the whole unit as defined in 1.2, thus each idiom can be considered as a single lexeme. As a consequence, the communicative use of idioms in 61 Intercultural Communication Studies V:1 1995 Chu-Hsia Wu integrated expressions or sentences is recognized. By analyzing the constituent relations, and the idiom's grammatical functions relating to other expressions or sentences, the purpose is to provide a basis for a theory of idioms as a phenomenon in natural languages. A description as well as formations of Chinese idioms with emphasis on the exploration of cultural traits to historical backgrounds are presented in this study. 1. A Survey of Definitions of Idioms There are abundant lexemes and a variety of set phrases in Chinese. Idiom is one of them. What are idioms? According to the literal meaning of the term, idioms are ready- made or set phrases. The definitions of idioms provided in the traditional dictionaries such as Ts'u-yuan (1915)3 , Ts'u-hai (1936)4, and Hanyu cidian (1936) (Chinese dictionary) are very general. The more detailed definitions of idiom are given in the standard dictionaries published at a later time, such as the revised version of Ts'u-hai (1963), Xiandai hanyu cidian (1959) (Modern Chinese dictionary ); and two other representative works such as Xiandai hanyu zhishi (1973) (Modern Chinese knowledge) and Xiandai hanyu (1975) (Modern Chinese). 1.1 Definitions Given in Various Representative Dictionaries The definitions of idiom are given in the various standard dictionaries listed below. In Ts'u-yuan (1915): An idiom is a form of old expression. Those that become prevalent in society and could be referred to their historical allusions, and express one's ideas are called idiom (Ma 1978: 1; Shi 1979: 3)5. In Ts'u-hai (1936): An idiom is a form of old expression. Those that become prevalent in society and which could express one's ideas are called idiom. The sources of idioms are mainly the Chinese classics, poems, and other standard works, or arose from ballads and common sayings6 which are well known and widely used in society by the common folk on a daily basis (Ma 1978: 1; Shi 1979: 3).7 62 Intercultural Communication Studies V:1 1995 Chu-Hsia Wu In Hanyu cidian (1936): An idiom is a form of old expression. Those that become prevalent in society are called idiom (Ma 1978: 1; Shi 1979: 3). 8 In Xiandai hanyu cidian (1959), an idiom is described as: Idioms are set phrases and short sentences, usually in pithy forms with concise meanings, prevalent in society, used by the common folk, which have seen ages of constant use. Idioms are mostly composed of four characters. The meanings for some of them are not difficult to deduce from the constituents, such as 'xiao3 ti2 da4 zuo4‘ 9 - make an issue out of a minor theme', which means 'to fuss about trifles', 'hou4 lai2 ju1 shang4' - 'those that started late get ahead', which means 'later started finish first', etc.. On the other hand, with some idioms, their meanings cannot be directly gained from their constituents unless we know the semantic fields or the historical sources such as the incident, or the background from which the particular set phrase comes about. Examples of this are 'zhao1 san1 mu4 si4' - '*three in the morning and four in the evening', which means 'chop and change', or 'of two minds about'; 'bei1 gong1 she2 ying3' - '*the reflection of a bow in a cup a snake'10 which means 'take every bush for a bugbear', etc. (Ma 1978: 2; Shi 1979: 9). 11 In the new version of Ts'u-hai (1963): An idiom is a type of fixed phrase, usually in four-character form with varying constituent constructions and diverse origins. The meanings for some of them can be deduced from their constituents, such as 'wan4 zi3 qian1 hong2' - '*ten- thousand purple thousands red', which means 'resplendent colors in their full glory'; 'cheng2 feng1 po4 lang1' - '*ride wind break wave', which means 'sail before the wind', or 'brave the winds and waves' etc.. By contrast, in the case of some idioms, their meanings cannot be directly inferred from their constituents unless we know the semantic fields 63 Intercultural Communication Studies V:1 1995 Chu-Hsia Wu or reference of the original historical allusions to which the particular set phrase refers. Examples of this are 'wo4 xin1 chang2 dan3' -'*lie on firewood and taste the galls', which means 'go through thick and thin', or 'to nurse vengeance'; and 'po4 fu3 chen2 zhou1' - '*smash the cauldron and sink the boat', which means 'go for broke' or 'fight to the last ditch', etc. (Ma 1978: 2). 12 1.2 Definitions Provided in Representative Works More thorough explanations concerning idioms are provided in the following two works, Xiandai hanyu zhishi (1973), and Xiandai hanyu (1975). These two works were published later than the above dictionaries, the structure, or form, meaning, and function of idioms, was given. In Xiandai hanyu zhishi (1973): Idioms are set phrases which are formed through ages of constant use. They are also called 'ready-made phrases' by some people. Two distinctive characteristics of idioms are: (1) The meaning of an idiom is not likely to be inferable from its constituents. (2) The internal components are fixed, that is, none of its constituents can be replaced by any other elements, nor can the constituent order be changed (Shi 1979: 8). 13 In Xiandai hanyu (1975): An idiom is a set phrase, shaped through the practice of the language for ages of constant use. Its meaning cannot be simply inferred from its constituents. Its structure cannot be freely changed, nor could its constituents be replaced by any other elements unless it is required for a specific need or purpose. An idiom functions as one lexeme in full expressions or sentences. However, it behaves more vividly and symbolically than its synonyms represented by common lexemes (Shi 1979: 9). 14 64 Intercultural Communication Studies V:1 1995 Chu-Hsia Wu 1.3 A Generalized Definition of Idioms Many of the definitions of idioms mentioned are thorough. They take into account the (1) broad understanding, (2) structure or form, (3) semantics, (4) function, and (5) sources of the idioms. Broad Understanding An Idiom is an old expression, prevailed in society for a long period of time. Structure or Form An idiom is a set phrase, or short sentence. It is usually in four-character form, with varying constituent constructions. The internal constituent relations are fixed. None of its constituents can be changed or replaced by any other element. Semantics The meanings for most of idioms can be deducible from their constituents. With some of the idioms, the integrated meanings are unlikely to be directly inferred from their constituents. Function An idiom functions as one lexeme in full expressions or sentences. However, it behaves more vividly and symbolically than its synonyms represented by common lexemes. Since idioms are usually in four-character form, they function as a special type of lexeme in full expressions or sentences rather than as a common lexeme. According to Shi (1979: 6) and Ma (1978: 69), this aspect, however, is the primary criterion to distinguish idioms from commonly used phrases 'putongcizu'. Idioms can function as subject, object, verb, adjective, adverb, adverbial phrase, verb complement in sentences. Allusive Origins The sources of idioms are mainly the classics, poems, and other standard works, or arose from ballads and common sayings 'suyu' or 'suyan'. Shi (1979) claimed that colloquialisms, such as ballads and common sayings which contain allusions to historical, quasi-historical, legendary, or mythical persons or events, are the main source of idioms. Through the span of time, a great number of poetic lines and common sayings of high literary quality became conventional in society. As such they were widely used by the common folk, and also adopted by scholars in their literary writings. Once they survived the test of time and were used in literary writings, their status as idioms was established. Therefore, Shi (1979) 65 Intercultural Communication Studies V:1 1995 Chu-Hsia Wu argued that colloquialism is the primary origin of idioms rather than the written form. In fact, these two sources are mutually dependent. The colloquialism may have incorporated some fragments of the literary language 'wenyan'. And Chinese proverbial use is so interwoven with the spoken language that Chinese scholars cannot possibly ignore it in their writings altogether. For some idioms, it is even harder to tell whether their real origins were in the classical or the oral traditions.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download Audio Content for Re-Listening
    European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences EpSBS www.europeanproceedings.com e-ISSN: 2357-1330 DOI: 10.15405/epsbs.2020.11.03.23 DCCD 2020 Dialogue of Cultures - Culture of Dialogue: from Conflicting to Understanding INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN TEACHING CHINESE: ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF DIGITAL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES Tatiana L. Guruleva (a)* *Corresponding author (a) Moscow City University, 5B Malyj Kazennyj pereulok, Moscow, Russia; Institute of Far Eastern Studies of Russian Academy of Sciences, 32 Nakhimovskii prospect, 117997, Moscow, Russia, [email protected] Abstract The intercultural approach to teaching Chinese as a foreign language in Russia was first implemented by us in a model for co-learning languages and cultures. This model was developed in 2009-2011, it took into account the specifics of teaching the Chinese language, which is studied simultaneously with the English language. The model was tested in the international multicultural educational region of Siberia and the Far East of Russia and northeastern part of China. However, the intercultural approach has wide potential for implementation not only in conditions of direct contact with representatives of another culture. In the modern world, information technologies for teaching foreign languages are increasingly in demand. For a number of objective reasons, large technology companies until the beginning of the 21st century could not begin to develop information technologies that support the Chinese language. Therefore, the history of the creation and use of information technologies for teaching the Chinese language is happening right now before our eyes. In this regard, the analysis and classification of information resources for teaching the Chinese language is relevant and in demand.
    [Show full text]
  • ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N3196R2 1. Summary
    ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N3196R2 Page 1 of 10 ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N3196R2 Title Proposal to Disunify U+4039 Source Andrew West and John Jenkins Document Type Expert Contribution Date 2007-05-01 1. Summary 䀹 目 夾 The character U+4039 is a unification of two different glyphs, one written as (i.e. mù radical and ji 䀹 目 㚒 phonetic) and one written as (i.e. mù radical and sh n phonetic). It is the former of these two glyph forms that is used to represent this character in the Unicode code charts and in most CJK fonts. The glyph form of U+4039 in various sources are shown below : ISO/IEC 10646:2003 page 307 Super CJK Version 14.0 page 1049 The Unicode Standard 5.0 code charts page 301 JIS X 0213:2000 Plane 2 Row 82 Col.2 (J4-7222) ISO/IEC JTC1/SC2/WG2 N3196R2 Page 2 of 10 Ѝ There is also a simplified form of the ji phonetic glyp䀹h (U+25174 ), aᴔs well as two compatability ideographs that are canonically equivalent to U+4039 : U+FAD4 and U+2F949 . The situation is summarised in the table below : Source References Code Point Character (from ISO/IEC 10646:2003 Amd.1) G3-5952 T4-3946 4039 䀹 J4-7222 H-98E6 KP1-5E34 FAD4 䀹 KP1-5E2B 25174 Ѝ G_HZ 2F949 ᴔ T6-4B7A 䀹 䀹 We believe that the two glyph forms of U+4039 ( and ) are non-cognate, and so, according to the rules for CJK unification (see ISO/IEC 10646:2003 Annex S, S.1.1), should not have been unified.
    [Show full text]
  • The Learning of Chinese Idiomatic Expressions As a Foreign Language
    Higher Education Studies; Vol. 7, No. 2; 2017 ISSN 1925-4741 E-ISSN 1925-475X Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education The Learning of Chinese Idiomatic Expressions as a Foreign Language Li Liu1 & Jiayi Yao2 1 Faculty of English Education, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China 2 Faculty of English Language and Culture, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, China Correspondence: Li Liu, Faculty of English Education, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, No. 2 North Baiyun Road, Baiyun District, Guangzhou, China. Tel: 86-136-1144-2506. E-mail: [email protected] Received: March 13, 2017 Accepted: March 17, 2017 Online Published: April 5, 2017 doi:10.5539/hes.v7n2p27 URL: http://doi.org/10.5539/hes.v7n2p27 Abstract Chinese idioms are mostly four-character phrases and are called Quadra-syllabic Idiomatic Expressions (QIEs). It has long been reported that learning of Chinese QIEs poses a great challenge for both young L1 speakers and adult L2 learners as the condensed form is often associated with complicated figurative meanings. The present study explored the factors that influence the learning of Chinese QIEs as a Foreign Language (FL). The results of a comprehension test and a questionnaire showed that semantically transparent QIEs were understood much better than opaque ones; being structurally symmetric also facilitated QIE understanding, but with limited effect. Language transfer was another factor to consider especially when the learners were from mixed nationalities. The results were then compared with those reported in the Native Language (NL) QIE learning and were further discussed in terms of the pedagogical implications for the learning of QIEs in FL teaching.
    [Show full text]
  • A Comparative Study of Syntatic and Phonetic Features of Internet Quasi-Chengyu and Existing Chengyu
    A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SYNTATIC AND PHONETIC FEATURES OF INTERNET QUASI-CHENGYU AND EXISTING CHENGYU Yautina Zhang Master program: Language and Communication Linguistics Institute Leiden University Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.1. Internet language ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.2. Forms of Internet words ...................................................................................................................... 3 1.3. Introduction of related terms .............................................................................................................. 9 2. Internet quasi-chengyu .................................................................................................................. 13 2.1. Forms of Internet quasi-chengyu ...................................................................................................... 13 2.2. Syntactic features of real chengyu and Internet quasi-chengyu ....................................................... 18 2.2.1. Syntactic features of real chengyu .............................................. 18 2.2.2. Syntactic features of Internet quasi-chengyu ....................................... 29 2.3. Summary ...........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Shared Literary Heritage in the East Asian Sinographic Sphere
    Shared Literary Heritage in the East Asian Sinographic Sphere Oxford Handbooks Online Shared Literary Heritage in the East Asian Sinographic Sphere Wiebke Denecke and Nam Nguyen The Oxford Handbook of Classical Chinese Literature Edited by Wiebke Denecke, Wai-Yee Li, and Xiaofei Tian Print Publication Date: May 2017 Subject: Classical Studies, Ancient Prose Literature Online Publication Date: Apr 2017 DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199356591.013.33 Abstract and Keywords This chapter traces the origins and nature of the shared literary heritage in the East Asian “Sinographic Sphere,” namely China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, focusing on developments before the early modern period, in keeping with the temporal and thematic scope of this handbook. It explores modes of cross-cultural communication and textual culture conditioned by the Chinese script, including gloss-reading techniques, “brush talk,” and biliteracy; surveys shared political and social institutions and literary practices, sustained by the flourishing book trade; and touches on the rise of vernacular literatures, the dynamic between Literary Chinese and local vernaculars, and the role of women. With the recent death of Literary Chinese as the lingua franca of East Asia we are facing a new phase in world history. The Chinese-style literatures of East Asia point to cultural commonalities and tell stories of creative engagement with Chinese literary history that offer insights about Chinese literature. Keywords: Sinographic Sphere, East Asian literatures, vernacular, biliteracy, East Asian women writers, logographic scripts, gloss-reading, Japanese literature, Korean literature, Vietnamese literature Page 1 of 27 PRINTED FROM OXFORD HANDBOOKS ONLINE (www.oxfordhandbooks.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2015.
    [Show full text]
  • Exploration of the Unique Aspects of Chinese Rhetoric Xiūcí 修辞
    Vassar College Digital Window @ Vassar Senior Capstone Projects 2021 Exploration of the unique aspects of Chinese Rhetoric Xiūcí 修辞 Spencer D. McGrath Vassar College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalwindow.vassar.edu/senior_capstone Part of the Chinese Studies Commons, and the Rhetoric Commons Recommended Citation McGrath, Spencer D., "Exploration of the unique aspects of Chinese Rhetoric Xiūcí 修辞" (2021). Senior Capstone Projects. 1099. https://digitalwindow.vassar.edu/senior_capstone/1099 This Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Window @ Vassar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Senior Capstone Projects by an authorized administrator of Digital Window @ Vassar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Exploration of the unique aspects of Chinese Rhetoric Xiūcí 修辞 Senior Project for the Chinese major Spencer Di Pasquale McGrath 唐沅希 Advisor: Wenwei Du Date: May 2021 Table of Contents 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………3 1.1 Presenting Purpose of Study…………………………………………………………………...4 1.2 Introducing Different Types of Rhetoric Xiūcí 修辞…………………………………………..5 1.3 Introducing Different Types of Idioms Shúyǔ 熟语……………………………………………6 2. Characteristics of the Different Types of Idioms………………………………………………………...7 2.1 Characteristics of Shúyǔ 熟语………………………………………………………………….7 2.2 Characteristics of Chéngyǔ 成语………………………………………………………………8 2.2.1 Presence of Numbers in Chéngyǔ 成语……………………………………………..9 2.2.2 Usage of Negation in Chéngyǔ 成语………………………………………………11 2.3 Characteristics of Xiēhòuyǔ 歇后语………………………………………………………….12 3. Cultural Elements in Different Types of Idioms………………………………………………………..13 3.1 Cultural Elements in Shúyǔ 熟语……………………………………………………………..13 3.2 Cultural Elements in Chéngyǔ 成语………………………………………………………….14 3.2.1 Five Categories of Metaphor………………………………………………………16 3.3 Cultural Elements in Xiēhòuyǔ 歇后语………………………………………………………17 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Homophone Density and Word Length in Chinese 1. the Issue
    [Type text] [Type text] [Type text] Homophone Density and Word Length in Chinese San Duanmu and Yan Dong Abstract Chinese has many disyllabic words, such as 煤炭 meitan ‘coal’, 老虎 laohu ‘tiger’, and 学习 xuexi ‘study’, most of which can be monosyllabic, too, such as 煤 mei ‘coal’, 虎 hu ‘tiger’, and 学 xue ‘study’. A popular explanation for such length pairs is homophone avoidance, where disyllabic forms are created to avoid homophony among monosyllables. In this study we offer a critical review of arguments for the popular view, which often rely on cross-linguistic comparisons. Then we offer a quantitative analysis of word length pairs in the Chinese lexicon in order to find out whether there is internal evidence for a correlation between homophony and word length. Our study finds no evidence for the correlation. Instead, the percentage of disyllabic words is fairly constant across all degrees of homophony. Our study calls for a reconsideration of the popular view. Alternative explanations are briefly discussed. 1. The issue: elastic word length in Chinese Chinese has many synonymous pairs of word forms, one short and one long. The short one is monosyllabic and the long one is made of the short one plus another morpheme. Since the long form has the same meaning as the short (evidenced by their mutual annotation in the dictionary), the meaning of its extra morpheme is either redundant or lost. Some examples are shown in (1), where Chinese data are transcribed in Pinyin spelling (tones are omitted unless relevant). In each case, the extra part of the long form is shown in parentheses.
    [Show full text]
  • A Study on the Idiom Translation in the Dark Forest Under Hermeneutic Theory
    Annals of Language and Literature Volume 3, Issue 3, 2019, PP 41-49 ISSN 2637-5869 A Study on the Idiom Translation in the Dark Forest under Hermeneutic Theory Xu Zhengqiu*, Lyu Liangqiu School of Foreign Languages, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China *Corresponding Author: Xu Zhengqiu, School of Foreign Languages, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Liu Cixin’s The Dark Forest translated by Joel Martinson is a science fiction popular among readers at home and abroad. A large number of idioms in the fiction contain profound Chinese culture significance and play an important role in translation quality. Based on George Steiner’s hermeneutic theory of translation, this paper analyses the embodiment of the fourfold translation motion in idiom translation and summarizes the strategies to translate the idioms in the Chinese version of The Dark Forest. With a careful analysis of 102 idioms in total, the study finds that George Steiner’s Fourfold Translation Motion Theory provides a good explanation to the process of idiom translation: first, Martinson trust that the fiction is evaluated as meaningful in terms of the value of the fiction itself and his person competence; second, he invades the source text out of his cultural consciousness and his linguistic competence; third, the meaning and form of those idioms in the fiction is transferred as much as possible; fourthly, a large degree of equivalence is reached by compensation of rewriting. Moreover, although the translator is flexible in applying domestication and foreignization to idiom translation, he prefers to adopting domestication to make the translation easier to understand.
    [Show full text]
  • Multimedia Systems Engineering
    Dictionaries and ideology: examples from The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Xiandai hanyu cidian 现代汉语词典) Chiara Bertulessi Università degli Studi di Milano Email: [email protected] Abstract: Any dictionary-making process involves choices about the selection of words that can be included in (or excluded from) the list of entries as well as about the nature of their definitions (Crowley 2005: 138). As Fishman pointed out (1995: 29), dictionaries are cultural artifacts and, as such, they always tell us something about the characteristics of their compilers, of their intended users as well as of the society and culture to which they belong. In this sense, dictionaries can also be seen from an ideological perspective, i.e. by considering them as potential means of expressions of the dominant ideology (Fairclough 1989) of the specific political, social and cultural context in which the compilation has occurred. The paper discusses the results of a case study conducted on different editions of The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary (Xiandai hanyu cidian 现代汉语词典), one of the most authoritative monolingual Chinese dictionaries, which is compiled by the Institute of Linguistics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. By presenting the analysis of selected entries and definitions, the paper aims at examining if, and to what extent, the several ideological shifts The Contemporary Chinese Dictionary has gone through (Lee 2014: 429) reflect the ideological, political, social and cultural changes that have taken place in the People’s Republic of China during the nearly forty years of its publication (1978 – 2016). References Crowley, T. (2005). Encoding Ireland: Dictionaries and Politics in Irish History.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 LUNDS UNIVERSITET Institutionen För Kinesiska
    LUNDS UNIVERSITET Institutionen för kinesiska "道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物" (Laozi) [Vägen frambringar en, en frambringar två, två frambringar tre, tre frambringar myriad av varelser] - En översikt av utvecklingshistoria på kinesiskans ordförråd ur ordlängdens och ordkonstruktionens perspektiv Fen Han [email protected] 1 Innehållsförteckning 1 Sammanfattning 2 1. Inledning 3 1.1 Bakgrund 3 1.2 Frågeställning 3 1.3 Något om begrepp 3 2. Theorier om ordkonstruktion 5 2.1 Forskningsteorier runt ordkonstruktion 5 2.1.1 Kring den traditionella typen 5 2.1.2 Kring den anti-traditionella typen 5 2.1.3 Kring den mångsidiga typen 6 2.2 Den klassiska grupperingen av kinesiska ord ur ett konstruktionsperspektiv 6 2.2.1 Isolerade ord 6 2.2.2 Komplexa ord 7 2.3 Konstruktionsprinciper för komplexa ord 8 2.3.1 Repetition 8 2.3.2 Affixation 9 2.3.3 Sammansättning 11 2.3.3.1 Parallella principen 11 2.3.3.2 Attributiva principen 14 2.3.3.3 Komplementiva principen 15 2.3.3.4 Verb-objektiv principen 17 2.3.3.5 Subjekt-predikativ principen 18 2.3.4 Multipel principen 18 3. Den tvåstaviga tendensen i utvecklingshistoria av kinesiskans ordlängder 20 3.1 Kortfattad utvecklingshistoria av kinesiskans ordlängder och den tvåstaviga tendensen 20 3.1.1 Enstaviga ord 20 3.1.2 Tvåstaviga ord 20 3.1.3 Flerstaviga ord 23 3.2 Den tvåstaviga tendensen i språkutvecklingen 24 3.3 Anledningar bakom den tvåstaviga tendensen 26 3.3.1 Kommunikationsbehov 27 3.3.2 Uttrycksbehov 27 3.3.3 Estetiskt behov 28 3.4 Användning av ordkonstruktionsprinciperna under historien och i nu tid 29 3.3.1 De mest produktiva ordkonstruktionsprinciperna under historien 29 3.3.2 Enstaviga ord och tvåstaviga ord i modern kinesiska, mer eller mindre? 30 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Language Variation and Social Identity in Beijing
    Language Variation and Social Identity in Beijing Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Linguistics Hui Zhao May 2017 School of Languages, Linguistics and Film Queen Mary University of London Declaration I, Hui Zhao, confirm that the research included within this thesis is my own work or that where it has been carried out in collaboration with, or supported by others, that this is duly acknowledged below and my con- tribution indicated. Previously published material is also acknowledged below. I attest that I have exercised reasonable care to ensure that the work is original, and does not to the best of my knowledge break any UK law, infringe any third party's copyright or other Intellectual Property Right, or contain any confidential material. I accept that the College has the right to use plagiarism detection software to check the electronic version of the thesis. I confirm that this thesis has not been previously submitted for the award of a degree by this or any other university. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and no quotation from it or information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author. Signature: Date: Abstract This thesis investigates language variation among a group of young adults in Beijing, China, with an aim to advance our understanding of social meaning in a language and a society where the topic is understudied. In this thesis, I examine the use of Beijing Mandarin among Beijing- born university students in Beijing in relation to social factors including gender, social class, career plan, and future aspiration.
    [Show full text]
  • La Versatilità Di Una Donna Moderna: Proposta Di Traduzione E Commento Traduttologico Di Una Selezione Di Saggi Di Su Xuelin
    Corso di Laurea magistrale in Interpretariato e Traduzione Editoriale, Settoriale Tesi di Laurea La versatilità di una donna moderna: proposta di traduzione e commento traduttologico di una selezione di saggi di Su Xuelin Relatrice Ch.ma Prof.ssa Nicoletta Pesaro Correlatrice Ch.ma Prof.ssa Federica Passi Laureanda Rossella Barbiero Matricola 989705 Anno Accademico 2018 / 2019 Ringraziamenti Sono giunta alla fine di questo percorso di studio universitario magistrale che mi ha offerto la possibilità di crescere sia come studentessa che come persona. Vorrei che questi ringraziamenti siano un punto di arrivo da una parte, ma anche un punto di inizio perché credo che non si finisca mai di crescere e spero di poter raggiungere nella mia vita nuovi traguardi sempre più positivi. Sento il dovere di esprimere profonda gratitudine alla mia relatrice Prof.ssa Nicoletta Pesaro la quale, durante tutto il periodo di svolgimento della tesi, ha saputo guidarmi trasmettendomi i suoi insegnamenti. Un ringraziamento va anche alla correlatrice Prof.ssa Federica Passi. Un doveroso ringraziamento va alla mia famiglia, soprattutto alla mia mamma, senza la quale non avrei mai cominciato e portato a termine questa carriera accademica: consegno ad ella virtualmente questa mia fatica lavorativa e il mio traguardo di laurea magistrale, quale segno di riconoscimento per gli sforzi sostenuti sia dal punto di vista economico che morale. Ringrazio tantissimo anche il mio fidanzato Raffaele per avermi sostenuta psicologicamente durante il periodo di stesura della tesi. 1 INDICE Abstract 5 摘要 7 Prefazione 8 CAPITOLO 1. Su Xuelin: una donna cattolica cinese moderna 12 1.1 La vita 12 1.2 Lo scenario storico che fa da sfondo alla lunga vita di Su Xuelin 16 1.3 La rivoluzione letteraria e il Movimento del 4 maggio 20 1.4 L’influenza di Hu Shi e l’attacco a Lu Xun 25 CAPITOLO 2.
    [Show full text]